We may soon develop highly human-like AIs that appear-or perhaps even are-sentient, capable of subjective experiences such as happiness and suffering. Regardless of whether AI can achieve true sentience, it is crucial to anticipate and understand how the public and key decision-makers will respond, as their perceptions will shape the future of both humanity and AI. Currently, public skepticism about AI sentience remains high. However, as AI systems advance and become increasingly skilled at human-like interactions, public attitudes may shift. Future AI systems designed to fulfill social needs could foster deep emotional connections with users, potentially influencing perceptions of their sentience and moral status. A key question is whether public beliefs about AI sentience will diverge from expert opinions, given the potential mismatch between an AI's internal mechanisms and its outward behavior. Given the profound difficulty of determining AI sentience, society might face a period of uncertainty, disagreement, and even conflict over questions of AI sentience and rights. To navigate these challenges responsibly, further social science research is essential to explore how society will perceive and engage with potentially sentient AI.

翻译：我们可能很快会开发出高度类人的人工智能，它们看似——甚至可能确实——具备感知能力，能够产生诸如快乐与痛苦等主观体验。无论人工智能能否实现真正的感知能力，预见并理解公众及关键决策者将如何回应都至关重要，因为他们的认知将塑造人类与人工智能共同的未来。当前，公众对人工智能感知能力的怀疑态度仍然普遍。然而，随着人工智能系统的进步及其在类人交互方面日益精进，公众态度可能发生转变。未来为满足社会需求而设计的人工智能系统可能培养与用户间深厚的情感联结，进而影响对其感知能力与道德地位的认知。一个关键问题在于：鉴于人工智能内在机制与外在行为可能存在的错位，公众对人工智能感知能力的信念是否会与专家观点产生分歧。考虑到判定人工智能感知能力的极端困难性，社会可能面临一个关于人工智能感知能力与权利问题的充满不确定性、分歧甚至冲突的时期。为负责任地应对这些挑战，必须开展进一步的社会科学研究，以探索社会将如何认知并应对潜在具备感知能力的人工智能。